A Brief Moment with Death (Oneshot)
by Burning-Stars98
Summary: After the blast, Sideswipe finds himself in limbo, begging to return to Earth to save it from Soundwave. (Takes place during "Collateral Damage")


Sideswipe moaned as he lifted his head from the ground. "Bee..." He hissed. "...Bee, do you copy...?"  
As he opened his optics, he found nothing but darkness around him. "Where...Where am I...? Bumblebee! Strongarm!?"

_I was wondering if we'd see you..._

The voice echoed from all directions, and Sideswipe scrambled to his feet. "Hello!? Is someone there!?" He reached for his Decepticon Hunter, but then remembered it had been lost, or rather, stolen. He also found his entire body was emitting a bluish glow, and his movements seemed to produce afterimages for just a brief moment, like watching something moving in slow motion. "...What happened to me...!?"

_Reckless as always..._

Sideswipe searched the darkness. "Why did you bring me here!? Where_ is_ here!?"

_We did not bring you here...You came here on your own..._

Sideswipe turned and found himself staring at another bot that had seemed to just materialize in front of him. She had no armor, just a slender, tall body and a white cloak clipped around her neck. Her helm resembled a crown, and her optics glowed white without irises. glowing orbs of white surrounded her in a constantly change aura, the robs changing size as they moved, growing and shrinking like a pulse.  
Sideswipe stepped back away from her, recognizing her description from Cybertronian myth.

This was a Guide. A being sent from the Allspark to guide dying sparks to it.

"No...No, I-I can't be dead!" He cried. "I can't-"

_You are not offline, Young One..._ The Guide took his chin with her hand._ ...Not yet._

"H-How did I get here? How do I get out!?"

_Try to remember, Sideswipe... Try to remember where you were..._

Sideswipe thought back before he woke up in this in-between place. "I was trying to contact Bumblebee because Soundwave...Soundwave!" He grasped the Guide's hands. "I have to go back and warn them about Soundwave! Please, you have to help me!"

_Help you return to the physical realm..._

"Yes! The humans are in danger!"

_Why would you care about a race that you do not belong to...?_

"I'm an Autobot, we protect _all_ life, not just those like us! Not to mention some of them are my friends! Please, I'm begging you! If we don't stop Soundwave, then he will contaminate the entire planet and everything will die!"

The Guide grinned, and then bent down and kissed the bot's head. _You have not changed at all, Sideswipe..._

"You...You_ know_ me?"

_Once... Do you not remember? We Guides were once living, too..._  
She stood up straight again, and then gestured beyond them. _Go there... Keep running in that direction, no matter how tired you may get._

"Will it lead to the physical realm?" Sideswipe turned back to the Guide, but she had disappeared once more. Sideswipe bit his lip, and then took off in the direction she'd pointed. Hopefully she wasn't fooling him and he was going back the way to life. There was nothing but darkness around him, providing him no landmarks to tell him how much progress he was making. For all he knew he was running in place. But she'd told him not to stop, and so he didn't, he just kept running.

He shut his optics as he ran, knowing the view would be the same either way, and just kept running.

His foot then hit something other than the ground and he fell forward. His helm slammed into the ground, and for a brief moment, he lost sense of everything. Then, he heard movement, and the pain came back. He moaned, attempting to move before feeling the pressure of debris lying on him.

He'd made it back.

The sound of rocks above him forced his optics open, and he winced as he saw the pieces of concrete being pulled away. Grimlock's face finally broke through, and the dinobot grabbed him by the shoulders, pulling him free of the rubble.

"Ugh..." Sideswipe stumbled a few steps as Grimlock set him down. For a brief moment all he could think of was the pain, and the fact that he'd alomost died just a cycle ago, but then he remembered his mission. "...Where's Soundwave?"

"Soundwave?" Strongarm asked. "He's in the Shadowzone..._Isn't_ he?"

"Not _anymore_!" Sideswipe informed. "We have to evacuate Crown City _now_, before Soundwave destroys it and everything_ else_ on the planet! I'll explain on the way..."


End file.
